TOPSoccer Program Information @ Miracle Field

Note: Vernon Soccer Club is offering this program for FREE for the 2023 Fall season!

Vernon's TOPSoccer (The Outreach Program for Soccer) is a community-based program.  TOPS is a training program for all athletes with intellectual, emotional, and or physical disabilities. The program strives to provide soccer opportunities for players to develop at their own pace in a safe, fun, and supportive/inclusive environment.

In Vernon, TOPSoccer is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to children from kindergarten through high school with developmental disabilities. The TOPSoccer program enables these special athletes to play at levels consistent with their skills, not necessarily their age. The girls and boys play on the same team.  Volunteer coaches lead players and peer mentors in fun-filled and informative sessions of soccer skill-building and small-sided games.

Soccer events are on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. at the Miracle Field at Northeast School in Vernon. We meet for 6 - 8 weeks in the fall, starting in early September.  We recommend players bring shin guards and their own soccer ball.  A parent/guardian is required to be present during sessions.

Vernon Soccer Club is offering this program for FREE for the 2023 Fall season!

If you have questions about TOPS please contact Steven Leibowitz via [email protected]

Benefits for Participants

• SOCIAL SKILLS - Players interact with their volunteer Buddy and other athletes in a fun, group setting and learn proper social behaviors.
• TEAMWORK - Players learn to trust someone else and rely on them through soccer activities and games.
• PERSEVERANCE - Players might encounter difficulties with activities, but they will be encouraged to keep trying and overcome challenges.
• CONFIDENCE - Players will achieve success on the field that carries over to their lives off the field in so many ways!

Differentiators of TOPSoccer

• Buddies: Each participant is assigned a volunteer, trained ‘Buddy’ who is typically a little older and neurotypical. This Buddy works with their player individually and makes sure they are safe, engaged, supported, and having fun. The player-Buddy relationship is maintained throughout the course of a season, resulting in strong interpersonal bonds and an establishment of trust and confidence that allows each player to achieve their full potential.
• Coaches: TOPSoccer coaches and administrators have taken formal USYS education and certification training that assists them in successfully delivering the program. In addition to providing coaching strategies and tactics specifically for children with special needs, the training identifies the traits of the most common disabilities and provides guidance on how to modify typical soccer practice activities so everyone can be successful.
• Groupings: Players are grouped by ability, not just age, such that they can develop at their own pace and participate amongst others with similar abilities.

COACH & ADMIN RESOURCES | PARENT & PLAYER RESOURCES | TOPSOCCER ACTIVITY GUIDE